Cam apparatus for independent needle knitting machines



Oct. 15, 1968 A. BECKENSTEIN CAM APPARATUS FOR INDEPENDENT NEEDL E KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 8, 1965 m 4 mm T N W PM H w M m T e 0 m w A M A w B m M 6 3 8 M m 5 E v/ 5 I l 1 I l I ll llll \I|| xil lll fi AM fi Q Q L I Q4 H v m 7 9 x 1% 6 6 B O 7 /4 6 WITNESS Unite 3,405,542 Patented Oct. 15, 1968 CAM APPARATUS FOR INDEPENDENT NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINES Leonard A. Beckenstein, Farmingdale,'N.Y., assignor to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 512,496 Claims. (CI. 66-38) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Knitting machine cam apparatus is disclosed as providing a virtually continuous cam track channel wherein the butts of the machines needles are adaptedto ride. The needles ride upwardly to draw yarn, and are thereafter lowered to form stitches without their respective butts ever leaving the channel in question, and such cam apparatus is arranged to be adjustable for providing knit, tuck and welt knitting conditions without effectively destroying the continuity of the cam track channel.

This invention relates in general to knitting machines of the independent needle type, and more particularly to needle actuating cam apparatus akin to that disclosed in United States Patent No. 3,035,425, issued May 22, 1962. Whereas cam apparatus as described in the aforesaid patent is adapted to provide selectively knit, tuck and welt needle positioning for the making of fancy fabrics, cam apparatus according to the present invention does likewise, but in a way that assures continual positive control of the needles of the knitting machine during virtually the whole of the knitting cycle. By means of the invention, knitting machine cam sections are provided which cooperate to define a virtually continuous channel in which needle butts are adapted to ride, but which channel may have its effective orientation selectively altered at discrete locations to accommodate the various knit, tuck and welt situations.

In providing the invention, use is made of a pair of spaced apart angularly orientable cams, the first of which constitutes a needle raising cam that cooperates with a respective cover cam to provide a first needle controlling channel section; and the second of which cooperates with-a stitch cam to provide a second needle controlling channel section, such second orientable cam serving as a cover cam for the stitch cam. Since the first and second channel sections must track each other to provide a substantially continuous channel, a presently preferred form of the invention is so designed that the two angularly orientable cams are counterrotatable, and are so arranged that their loci overlap, whereby adjustment, i.e. rotation, of one orientable cam causes it to bear against the other orientable cam and thereby simultaneously adjust such other carn. To provide stitch length regulation and control, the presently preferred form of the invention further includes means for translationally moving the second of the orientable cams perpendicularly with respect to, and substantially in the plane of, relative needle travel. In this way, not only is the yarn-engaging draw of the needles positionably well defined, but so too is the cast-off withdraw of such needles.

A principal object of the invention is to provide improved cam apparatus for a knitting machine of the independent needle type.

Another object of the invention is to provide cam apparatus for an independent needle knitting machine, wherein a substantially continuous needle cooperating channel is provided thereby, and wherein such cam apparatus is adjustable for the making of fancy fabrics.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a States Patent Ofiice knitting machine of the independent needle type, a pair of spaced apart angularly orientable cams that cooperate to define a substantially continuous needle engaging channel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cam section for an independent needle knitting machine having a pair of counterrotatable cam elements that so cooperate that adjustment of one effects adjustment of the other, and wherein both cam elements serve to form sections of a substantially continuous needle cooperating channel through the cam section.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a knitting machine of the independent needle type, a pair of spaced apart angularly orientable cams that cooperate to define a substantially continuous needle engaging channel, the cam of said pair of cams that is adapted to engage secondly the needles of said knitting machine during the course of their relative travel being translationally positionable perpendicularly with respect to the direction of, and substantially in the plane of, said relative needle travel.

The invention will be described with reference to the figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of a circular knitting machine employing cam apparatus according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of a pair of double raceway cam sections, both employing for each raceway the presently preferred form of the invention, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a part of the apparatus of FIG. 2, being useful for a clear understanding of the invention.

Referring generally to FIG. 1, a dual raceway cam section 10 is supported rigidly on a cam retaining ring 12 by means of screws 14. The cam retaining ring 12 bolts to an outer ring 16 having a shoulder 18, whereby a raceway 20 is provided between the cam retaining ring 12 and the outer ring shoulder 18. Rotatably supported in the raceway 20 is a ring gear 22 that is rotatable by means of a gear drive 24. The ring gear 22 secures, by means of screws 26, to a needle cylinder 28 having the usual plurality of slots 30 for slidably housing respective needles, some 38 of which have short shanks for cooperation with one cam raceway and others 40 of which have long shanks for cooperation with the other cam raceway. During the generation of cloth 34, the drive 24 causes the cylinder 28 to carry the needles past stationary cam sections 10 whereby the needles are urged repeatedly up and down in their slots by the cam sections 10.

With particular reference now to FIGS. 2 and 3, each cam section provides a pair of raceways 36 and 36 for respectively the short shank needles 38 and the long shank needles 40. The short shank needles 38 have cam engaging butts 39; and the long shank needles 40 have cam engaging butts 41. It is to be borne in mind that while a dual raceway configuration is shown and described, such is only illustrative of an environment for the invention, and that the invention is just as applicable to knitting machines having for example only a single raceway. For the raceway 36 a first cam member 42 is pivotally secured at 43 to the back face 44 of the section 10 in a manner to be described later. The cam member 42 provides a needle cooperating channel 48 that is bounded by a raise cam 50 and a cover cam 52, both of which form part of the cam member 42. The raise cam 50 is provided with an extended toe portion 51 that projects past the end of the channel 48. A cam 54, fixedly secured to the cam section face 44, complements the cover cam 52 for desired needle control, and is provided with a recess 56 into which the cover cam 52 may be withdrawn.

A vertical channel 58 cut into and along the back face 44 ofthe section positionably houses a two-part stitch cam adjustment post 60, such post being held within its channel 58 by means of brackets 62, 64. Fixedly secured to the exposed face'of the top part 60 of the post by means of screws 66 is a stitch cam 68. Disposed below the stitch cam 68 by about the width of a needle butt, and pivotally secured to the post top part 60 is a cover cam' 70 having a recessed shoulder part 72 that is adapted to cooperate with the toe part 51 of the raise cam 50. The cover cam 70 is spring biased in a clockwise direction (looking at FIG. 2) by means of a coil spring 74 that seats within a cutout 76 in the backside of the part 6%, and complementing the action of the cover cam 70 is a cam 77 that is itself secured by means of a screw 81 to the post part 60 One end 78 of the spring anchors to the part 60 the other end 79 thereof being secured to the pivotal support shaft 80 for the cover cam 70. A cutout 82 near the top of the post part 60 accommodates the flared head 84 of a stitch cam adjustment screw 86 that is adapted to be screwed into the section 10. That is, adjustment of the screw 86 causes the stitch cam 68 and its cover cam 70 to be positionably moved vertically by means of the post part 6%, whereby stitch length regulation is provided.

The cam member 42 is pivotally supported at 43 by means of a shaft 90 that extends through, and is rotatably supported by, the section 10, the end of the shaft 90 emanating from the section 10 having a lever member 92 secured thereto. The lever 92 has a set screw 94 threaded into a through opening in the lever, and when such screw is set against the front face 96 of the section 10, the orientation of the cam member 42 is fixed.

The raceway 36 employs a set of cams similar to those employed to provide the raceway 36 A cam member 98 having a needle cooperating channel 100 that is bounded by a raise cam 102 and a cover cam 104 is pivotally secured at 106 to the section 10. The raise cam 102 is provided with a toe portion 108, and complementing the action of the cover cam 104 is a cam 110 provided with a recess 112 into which the cover cam 104 may be withdrawn. The raise cam toe 108 may be adapted to bear against a shoulder 114 cut into a pivotal cover cam 116 that cooperates with a lower raceway stitch cam 118. The cover cam 116 and the stitch cam 118 are both secured to the lower part 60 of the cam support post 60, and are disposed apart by about the width of a needle butt. Like the cover cam 70, the cover cam 116 is spring biased clockwise (looking at FIG. 2) by a coil spring 120 that seats within a cutout 122 in the lower part 60 of the cam support post. A cam 124, fixedly secured to the cam post lower part 60 by means of a screw 126, complements the action of the cover cam 116.

Vertical positioning of the stitch cam 124 and its cooperating cover cam 116 for stitch length regulation is provided by means of an adjustment screw 128 and rod 130 combination. The screw 128 is threaded into the top part 60 of the cam support post, and such screw is adapted to bear against and axially move the rod 130. The rod 130 is slidably retained in a through channel 132 in the cam post top part 60 being also retained partially in a closed-end channel 134 in the cam post lower part 60 and such lower post part 60 is spring loaded by means of a compression spring 136 so that the rod 130 is urged against the adjustment screw 128. Proper adjustment of the cams 116, 118 by means of the screw 128 may be made independently of, and after, adjustment is first made of the cams 68, 70.

Like the cam member 42, the cam member 98 is pivotally supported by means of a shaft 140 that extends through, and is rotatably supported by, the section 10. Similarly, the end of the shaft 140 that extends past the front face 96 of the section 10 is provided with a lever member 142 that includes a set screw 144, such screw cooperating with the section front face 96 to fix the orientation of the cam member 98.

To illustrate the use of cam sections employing "the invention, consider the two identically constructed cam sections 10 shown in FIG. 2. The upper and lower raceway portions of the left hand section 10 are set respectively to their knit and tuck positions; the upper and lower portions of the right hand section 10 are set respectively to their tuck 'and welt positions. To provide the abovementioned knit position, the screw 94 of the left hand section 10 is released, after which time the cam member 42 is rotated counterclockwise (looking at FIG. 2) by means of the lever 92; then the screw 94 is reset. For the abovementioned tuck position of the left hand section 10, the cam member 98 is rotated by means of the lever 142 (the screw 144 having first been released) until the toe 108 bears against the shoulder 114 of the cover cam 116; then the screw 144 is set: Similarly for the abovementioned right hand tuck'position, the cam member 42 of such section is rotated until its toe 51 bears against the shoulder 72 of its cover cam 70; and then the screw 94 of the right hand section 10 is set. For the abovementioned welt position, the set screw 144 of the right hand section 10 is released, after which time the cam member 98 is so rotated clockwise (looking at FIG. 2) that its toe 108 urges against and counterrotates the cover cam 116 against its spring bias; then the screw 144 of the right hand section 10 is reset. Stitch length variations, as aforesaid, may be selectively provided by adjusting the screws 86 and 128.

Note should be made that for knit and welt cam positioning with the abovedescribed apparatus, the desirous raceway channels that are provided have only slight interruptions across which the needles will fiy. during knitting; and more importantly for tuck cam positioning, which requires greater regulation and control since needles here are necessarily positionably confined within close limits, the provided raceway channels are virtually continuous.

While the invention has been described in its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than of limitation and that changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed herein is:

1. Cam apparatus for use in an independent needle knitting machine comprising first and second cam means, respective means for so pivotally supporting both said cam means in spaced apart relationship that the needles of said knitting machine may ride successively from one cam means to the other cam means, third cam means so supported by said apparatus that it cooperates with said first cam means to define a channel therebetween for accommodating the butts of said knitting machine needles, and fourth cam means also supported by said apparatus and adapted to cooperate with said second cam means to define therebetween a channel also for accommodating the knitting machine needle butts, said first and second cam means being counterrotatable through intersecting loci substantially in the plane of relative needle travel, and said apparatus including means for so rotating one of said counterrotatable cam means that it bears against and positions the other of said counterrotatable cam means, the first of said cam means being provided with a toe that extends beyond the end of the channel that said first cam means cooperates to define, and said second cam means being provided with a shoulder against which said toe may be brought to bear, said apparatus further including spring means for spring biasing said cam means against which the other of said cam means is adapted to bear in a direction to resist the urging of said other cam means, and wherein the position for said spring biased cam means when said spring means is unflexed is such that needles cooperating with such cam means tuck with respect to yarn fed to said knitting machine, the unbiased rotatable cam means being positionable away from the spring biased cam means for urging said needles to their knit positions, and positionable against the spring biased cam means for urging said needles to their welt positions.

2. Cam apparatus for use in an independent needle knitting machine comprising first and second cam means, respective means for so pivotally supporting both said cam means in spaced apart relationship that the needles of said knitting machine may ride successively from one cam means to the other cam means, third cam means so supported by said apparatus that it cooperates with said first cam means to define a channel therebetween for accommodating the butts of said knitting machine needles,

' and fourth cam means also supported by said apparatus and adapted to cooperate with said second cam means to define therebetween a channel also for accommodating the knitting machine needle butts, said apparatus including means for simultaneously positioning said second and fourth cam means perpendicularly with respect to and substantially in the plane of relative needle travel within said knitting machine, wherein said first and second cam means are counterrotatable through intersecting loci substantially in the plane of relative needle travel, and wherein said apparatus further includes means for so rotating one of said counterrotatable cams that it bears against and positions the other of said counterrotatable cams.

3. A circular knitting machine of the independent needle type comprising a needle retaining cylinder and a cam support member coaxial with and surrounding the cylinder, a plurality of cam sections supported on said member and adapted to actuate periodically the needles of said cylinder, said sections each comprising first and second cam means, respective means for so pivotally supporting both said cam means in spaced apart relationship that the needles of said knitting machine may ride successively from one cam means to the other cam means, third cam means so supported by said section that it cooperates with said first cam means to define a channel therebetween for accommodating the butts of said knitting machine needles, fourth cam means also supported by said section and adapted to cooperate with said second cam means to define therebetween a channel also for accommodating the knitting machine needle butts, said first and second cam means being counterrotatable through intersecting loci substantially in the plane of relative needle travel, and means for so rotating one of said counterrotatable cams that it bears against and positions the other of said counterrotatable cams, said means for rotating one cam means being a shaft one end of which is secured to said cam means adapted to be rotated, the other end of said shaft being disposed external to said section, whereby knit tuck and welt cam positioning for said section may be provided by rotating said shaft.

4. Cam apparatus for a knitting machine comprising a section member, a cam member pivotally secured to said section member and adapted to move in a plane parallel to a face thereof, said cam member being provided with an open channel across its exposed face and having a toe portion extending beyond the end of said channel, said channel being at least as wide as the width of a needle butt, a stitch cam disposed on said section member proximate said cam member toe portion, a cover cam for said stitch cam pivotally disposed on said section member and positionable in substantially the same plane as said cam member, said cover cam being pivotally supported apart from said stitch cam by a distance slightly greater than the width of a needle butt, and said cover cam being provided with a shoulder recess proximate its non-pivotal end, said cam member and said cover cam being spaced apart generally in the direction of relative needle travel within said machine by a distance that permits said toe portion to urge against said shoulder recess, means for pivotally moving said cam member, and spring bias means for use in pivotally urging said cover cam against said toe portion of said cam member.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said section is provided with a slot that opens into said face, wherein said section includes a post positionably supported in said slot, and wherein both said stitch cam and said cover cam are rigidly supported on said post.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 586,315 7/1879 Munsing 66-57 XR 759,928 5/1904 Staiford et a1 66-38 XR 1,034,521 8/1912 Scott 66-38 1,651,316 11/1927 Bell et al. 66-50 XR 3,012,424 12/1961 Wullimann 66-78 XR 3,158,012 11/1964 Kahan 66-50 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 608,051 1/ 1935 Germany.

11,158 5/1906 Great Britain. 248,054 2/ 1926 Great Britain. 433,737 8/ 1935 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES German printed application, 1,132,678, July 1962, Schindele et al.

WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner. 

